Local 1102 Hosts Stewards’ Training and Honors Lifetime Member Paulette Fialkoff Amodeo
RWDSU Local 1102 brought together stewards from across industries for two-days of intermediate and advanced training, which was the first time members from so many different workplaces gathered for a joint event focused on education, empowerment, and solidarity. The event was held in a Local 1102 organized hotel as well, supporting our own while coming together.
The day offered robust workshops and discussions on key topics, including grievance handling, contract enforcement, organizing, and member engagement. The training reflected RWDSU Local 1102’s deep commitment to supporting its frontline leaders, the essential link between members, the union, and the movement for workers’ rights.
After a full day of learning and collaboration, members joined together for a celebration that carried special meaning for everyone present. RWDSU Local 1102 honored Paulette Fialkoff Amodeo with a Lifetime Membership Award, recognizing her extraordinary 64 years of dedication to the Local, the RWDSU, and the broader labor movement.
The training and celebration together reflected the best of Local 1102, honoring the union’s proud history while preparing a new generation of stewards to carry that legacy forward.
A Lifetime of Union Service
Paulette’s history with Local 1102 is remarkable and deeply personal. She grew up in a union family and signed her own membership card in 1961 while still in high school, working as a cashier at Lerner’s Ladies Clothing Shop in the Bronx.
After graduating from the Bronx High School of Science and New York University, where she earned a Biology and Pre-Med degree at a time when few women pursued science, Paulette began working for Local 1102 in 1979. Starting with the Health and Welfare Funds, she quickly became known for her deep care for members and her determination to learn every facet of the union’s work.
Over the next three decades, she served as a Union Representative, Field Service Coordinator, and ultimately as Director of Field Service until her retirement in 2009. She also held leadership roles on the Executive Board, the Health and Pension Funds, and the RWDSU and UFCW Advisory Boards. Paulette was also a driving force in the UFCW Women’s Network, recruited to join in 1994 and eventually serving as its International Chairperson from 2004 to 2009 – the first RWDSU woman ever elected to that position.
“A kinder, more compassionate person does not exist,” said RWDSU Local 1102 President Jack Caffey. “Paulette has never stopped being a part of the Union and has always been there whenever we call upon her, which is why today’s recognition is just that, a recognition of her already and continuing lifetime membership to our local.”
Even in retirement, Paulette continued to serve workers as co-president of the Center for Frontline Retail, helping train and support people entering the retail industry.
Throughout her 64 years with RWDSU Local 1102, Paulette has been a tireless advocate for fairness, respect, and worker power. “Local 1102 and the RWDSU are and always will be my family,” she shared. “I am so honored by this recognition, and am proud to be a lifetime Local 1102 member.”
